Glen Allen, Virginia

Inducted in 2007, Leonard L. Bottoms, Jr. started flying in 1943, receiving his Private License in 1944.  He was an FAA Designated Pilot examiner for nearly 20 years and has served as an FAA safety counselor.  He built two homebuilt airplanes, the first a Pitts Special and the second a plane of his own design.  That plane, Skeeter, won the Design Award for the Most Outstanding All Wood Aircraft in 1966 at the Rockford, Illinois EAA air show.  He was one of the founders of the Central Virginia EAA Chapter 231 and served as its president for 5 years.  He managed the New Kent County airport for 6 years, the Corporate Terminal for Aero Industries at Byrd Airport for ten years and until his retirement at age 75 oversaw the daily operations at the Executive Terminal at RIC.  He started an aerobatics club in Richmond and flew for Barnstormer’s Airshows at Kings Dominion for its entire existence.